The universe of Re: Zero – Starting Life in Another World comes with many nuanced, savage realities of its own, and its main target is Natsuki Subaru, whose “Return by Death” ability is a dark gift that keeps on giving. Too many of Subaru’s resets are marked by sheer gruesomeness, with enough macabre shades to saturate the well-being of other characters in the series, including Subaru’s primary love interest, Emilia.
Being Subaru’s muse, Emilia inadvertently drives a great deal of his choices. In addition to circumstances brought about by major adversaries in the series, Emilia is pulled into the whirlwind of consequences that stem from Subaru’s decisions all too often. As the trail of Subaru’s deaths in Re:Zero unfolds, so does the record of heart-wrenching and mind-bending resets for Emilia.
8
Emilia’s Deep Insecurity Gets a Bite From Wolgarms
- Story Arc: Arc 2
- Anime: Season 1, Episodes 7-11
Among the many things that Emilia bears throughout her life, one is her unexplainable stark resemblance to the Witch of Envy, which naturally makes her an instant target for prejudiced folks of all kinds. It’s only natural that she doesn’t have an easier time managing her internalized guilt when strange things start happening to Emilia’s team members in Re:Zero as a result of Meili Portroute’s proxy warfare via her Wolgarm companions.
What turns this period of resets into a cluster of traumatic events for Emilia is the fact that Wolgarm bites end up reaching much deeper than Meili could imagine. With no knowledge of the nature behind Subaru’s struggles, Emilia soaks in the chaos within her trusted network and feels defenseless against the idea that her presence is a curse to others. The fact that everyone keeps shielding Emilia from the truth about what is going on doesn’t help her self-loathing either.
7
Emilia’s Trial at the Sanctuary Bombards Her With Trauma She Can’t Process
- Story Arc: Arc 4
- Anime: Season 2, Episodes 3-13
The chain of resets at the Sanctuary plunges Emilia’s mind into the horrors of her childhood that her sanity has been shielded from, thanks in no small part to Puck. As a result, the trial of facing the past, which should encourage Emilia to go through the pain of ripping the band-aid off her old wounds, takes an ugly turn. It deteriorates into a chaotic hailstorm of trauma that shatters Emilia’s well-being because her memory has no context for the violent episodes that her mind is subjected to.
What makes this reset chain agonizing for Emilia is her inability to make sense of the fragmented terror that her mind is lacerated by. With no context to rely on in her memory, Emilia ends up overwhelmed by the rolling avalanche of shame and fear that drives her into a state of panic. The mind of the leading lady among Re:Zero’s top female characters gets a front seat to a horror movie that she neither understands nor can detach from.
6
Emilia Seems to Be Overtaken by the Witch of Envy
- Story Arc: Arc 4
- Anime: Season 2, Episodes 9-10
As the mystery of this reset would have it, following Subaru’s chatty time with Echidna, the Sanctuary is swarmed by the black shadows that the Witch of Envy uses to engulf it and everything within. Before the event unfolds, however, Emilia disappears from the scene, with the Witch of Envy assuming Emilia’s appearance once her presence begins manifesting itself.
Somehow, between the time Subaru sings like a bird about his “Return by Death” ability and the time the Sanctuary drowns in black shadows, the Witch of Envy seems to exploit Emilia to bring about her macabre show.
What places this reset among the worst for Emilia is the possibility that the Witch of Envy has unleashed her shadow doom on the Sanctuary by using Emilia. In the tradition of mean irony that runs throughout the series, Emilia may have acted as an unsuspecting conduit for the demise of the very beings whom she seeks to protect.
5
Emilia Perishes Off-Screen as the Mansion Turns Into a Slaughterhouse
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White Fox Co. -
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White Fox Co.
- Story Arc: Arc 3
- Anime: Season 1, Episodes 14-15
Sparing viewers the gruesome details of Emilia’s suffering at the hands of the Witch Cult, this reset gives our imagination one dark void to fill when it comes to the kind of savagery that Emilia endures. In the aftermath of a sudden raid on the Roswaal Mansion led by Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti, this reset takes the record of the moments Subaru dies in Re:Zero through the slaughterhouse the Witch Cultists leave behind.
While the story omits the terror that Emilia has to live through, the chilling end to Subaru’s discovery of the massacre gives fans a hint that the encounter must have called for the activation of Emilia’s contract with Puck. Likewise, the mutilated bodies of other defenders of the mansion let us know the Witch Cult’s visit has not only brought about Emilia’s death but also triggered her deepest fear — seeing others perish because of her mere presence.
4
Emilia’s Naïveté Rips the Guts Out of Her Royal Candidacy
- Story Arc: Arc 1
- Anime: Season 1, Episode 1
At the start of the series, Emilia’s naïveté leads her right into the trap of one of the most notorious assassins and gets devoured like a savage delight on a bloodied platter. Her killer is Elsa Granhiert, and she has a distinct taste for disemboweling her victims, which she is happy to indulge in the moment she finds out more about Emilia.
Where this reset takes an ugly turn for Emilia is the way in which it causes her glorious story to meet an inglorious end before the story even takes off. The ruthless atmosphere of street violence that fills this reset makes Emilia resign from the Royal Selection before it even begins. Emilia ends up disemboweled on the floor of an unsightly place in the slums where her allies can neither help her nor avenge her.
3
Emilia Gets a Lethal Heart Squeeze From the Witch of Envy
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White Fox Co.
- Story Arc: Arc 3
- Anime: Season 1, Episode 17
If there is something worse than a sudden lethal blow from a trickster in the slums, it might have something to do with getting the heart crushed in front of the person who means you well. This is exactly what one of the most powerful characters in Re:Zero has in store for Emilia — the moment Subaru decides it’s a good idea to let Emilia in on a secret not meant to be shared.
As soon as Subaru attempts to sway Emilia with the truth about his “Return by Death” ability, the shadow hand of the Witch of Envy gives Emilia’s heart a squeeze and Subaru a lesson in discretion. Frustrated beyond measure, Emilia dies a horrible death, not knowing what’s killing her and why it’s happening in the presence of the person who is allegedly trying to save her.
2
Emilia Wins Casting for a Wedding Show Where Regulus Is the Host and the Star
- Story Arc: Arc 5
- Anime: Season 3, Episodes 2-12
Some things can be worse than death, and one of them is being forced to be yet another wife of Regulus Corneas. The Sin Archbishop of Greed, whose proximity to the top overpowered characters in anime is overshadowed only by his closeness to pathological narcissism, drives this reset as a star in his own twisted marriage reality show. As part of casting for his self-aggrandizing spectacle, Regulus sets his eyes on Emilia and forces her into a ceremony that prepares her to join his manipulated harem.
What turns this reset into a nightmare for Emilia is the manner in which Regulus hacks away at Emilia’s dignity. From invalidating her chaste views about love to overwhelming her with confusion, Regulus gets to Emilia’s fragile sense of self as a vulture gets to an unattended piece of meat. Engulfed in a systematic assault on her well-being and confronted with the terrifying scope of coercion that Regulus has established over his victims, Emilia suffers a ruthless disillusionment about human nature.
1
Emilia’s Mind Falls Apart Before the Sanctuary Does
- Story Arc: Arc 4
- Anime: Season 2, Episode 11
Within Re:Zero is a universe that seems to have no room for purists like Emilia. As she carries a ton of unprocessed trauma stacked underneath another ton of self-imposed duties, Emilia’s coping mechanisms are held together by duct tape. Needless to say, the frail defenses of Emilia’s mind don’t stand a chance against a perfect storm devised by someone as manipulative as Roswaal.
As this reset culminates in the Great Rabbit’s feast at the Sanctuary, Emilia’s mind is already lacerated all over by the traumatic visions from the trial in her past. Isolated from the protective presence of Puck and Subaru, Emilia finds herself in a very dark place where her mind enters a dissociated state. While the Great Rabbit is inadvertently helping Emilia solve the problem of the increasingly frustrated villagers, Emilia is long gone, feeling bliss at the sight of the badly wounded Subaru crawling her way.
- Release Date
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2016 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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TV Tokyo, AT-X
- Directors
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Hiroyuki Tsuchiya, Kazuomi Koga, Yoshito Mikamo, Masaharu Watanabe, Yoshinobu Tokumoto, Masahiro Shinohara, Hideyo Yamamoto, Manabu Okamoto, Takashi Sakuma, Daisuke Takashima, Naoko Takeichi
- Writers
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Yoshiko Nakamura
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Yûsuke Kobayashi
Subaru Natsuki (voice)
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Rie Takahashi
Emilia (voice)
